Hard of hearing consumers, even members of consumer organizations like SHHH, have little opportunity to interact with scientists conducting contemporary research. A conference grant award was made by NIH to support the 1996 and 1999 SHHH research symposia on hearing loss. The first such conference grant award to a consumer organization was to Johns Hopkins Center for Hearing and Balance in 1994 with a research topic of "New Discoveries, New Solutions" presented at the SHHH Orlando Convention and Symposium. This has proven to be a unique opportunity for both consumers and participating scientists to better understand the others' interests. Such interactions help shape future research in positive ways and assist consumers in better understanding how recent and ongoing science research has, or will, benefit them. The latest NIH conference grant award is for the 2000 SHHH Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota for a planned symposium on "Interventions for the Treatment of Acquired Hearing Loss." This proposal seeks funding to conduct a one-day symposium for consumers on another topic of critical concern to hard of hearing consumers, that of the brain and hearing. The symposium will be convened at the time of the 16th Interventional convention of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc. (SHHH), on June 25, 20001 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Key topics to be addressed include the role of the auditory central nervous system in hearing, basic organization of the auditory system, sound representation in the auditory nerve, neural mechanisms of sound localization, auditory plasticity and functional imaging and auditory disorders. Products will include a brochure announcing the symposium for dissemination beyond SHHH members, open captioned videos, a proceedings document, and summary articles in hearing Loss: The Journal of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People.